ALVECHURCH 1-2 COVENTRY SPHINX
Sphinx: O'Neill, Sullivan, Fowler (Jackson 88), Bilic, Fletcher, Wilks, Cain, Cutting. Williams (Drake 76), Downie (Dyke 78), Downes. Subs: Muldoon.
Alvechurch: Parson, Wilcock (Halpin 75), Perkins, Morrison, Smith, Race, Hayden, Deards, Taylor, Edwards. Subs Watson, Thorpe, Howells, Fitzpatrick.
HT AFC 1-1 CSFC
FT AFC 1-2 CSFC
Goals Conor Deard 16, Rickie Cutting 33, Rickie Fletcher 62
Referee Rob Parnham
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Coventry Sphinx put in an excellent performance to win 2-1 at Alvechurch.
Watched by a good Sphinx support at Lye Meadow, Luke Hopkins' side started brightly.
Good work by Rickie Cutting played in Jackson Downie whose deflected shot went wide and Sphinx won a corner and a throw before referee Rob Parnham, who was making it clear he was the star of the show, awarded Sphinx a penalty for a foul on Luke Williams.
The Sphinx striker got up and and took the spot kick but Stuart Parsons got down to his left and deflected the ball over the bar.
Against the run of play, Conor Deards race through to give Alvechurch the lead in the sixteenth minute.
After O'Neill had blocked from Deards, Sphinx grew in stature. Players started to be fed the ball and Sphinx won a corner, a 32nd minute free kick which saw Ashley Cain hit the bar and Parson have the scramble away for a corner.
Cain took the kick and sent it deep into the mixer for Rickie Cutting to turn under pressure and fire into the net past the left hand of Parson.
Cain fired at Parson after a great move involving Cutting and Williams and Matty Fowler headed over from a sublime 43rd minute Luke Downes cross.
Sphinx, who, to a man were playing with desire and passion, were straight on the attack with a Fowler shot beaten away and a corner.
Cain sent a shot over in the 51st minute as the dust on the dry, hard, Lye Meadow pitch started to get up due to the wind.
In the 61st minute, there was a goal to cheer for the Sphinx support thanks to a Cain corner causing problems and Rickie Fletcher bundling in from close range.
Luke Downes who had a great game, won a 71st minute corner before Hopkins made two changes to keep things tight in midfield.
Sphinx, who are home to Coleshill Town on Monday, lost Fowler to an injury but battled away to take a deserved win.